Glossary

John Julius Angerstein

John Julius Angerstein (1735 - 1823) was a Russian banker who settled in London. He acquired his wealth as a marine insurance underwriter and broker and is known as the founder of Lloyds. He was also a founder member of the British Institution.

Angerstein amassed a major collection of mainly 16th- and 17th-century paintings, which came on to the market after his death in 1823. In the following year money was granted by the British government for their purchase and preservation. These 38 pictures, which were kept at 100 Pall Mall, Angerstein's town house, formed the nucleus of the new National Gallery Collection.Two of the National Gallery's paintings from the Angerstein collection are now at Tate Britain: William Hogarth, 'The Painter and his Pug'; and David Wilkie, 'The Village Holiday'.